When a person (referred to herein as a “customer”) visits a web site of a company that person, depending upon the skill level of that person, may find it easy to navigate that web site and obtain the desired information for a product or a service, or place an order for a product or a service, or that person may find it difficult or impossible to obtain the desired information or place an order.
Many web sites have a “HELP” button, which allows the customer to “click on” or press that button in order to contact a customer service representative (“CSR”) of the company. In some cases, that button brings up an e-mail screen whereby the customer can send an e-mail message to the CSR. However, the customer must then wait for a reply from the CSR, which can take minutes, hours, or days. In other cases, that button directly connects the customer to the CSR via a web page, so that the customer and the CSR can communicate with each other in real time by simply typing messages on the screen, which both parties (the customer and the CSR) can view simultaneously. However, if all of the customer service representatives are busy, then the customer may have to wait for some time before a reply appears on the screen. During this time, the customer may lose interest or just become tired of waiting, and then disconnect or switch to another web site, such as a competitor's web site.
This problem becomes particularly acute if all customer service representatives are normally occupied and a customer is repeatedly not able to communicate with a CSR. This results in a customer who has not been able to obtain the desired information, or who has not been able to place an order, and who is dissatisfied with the service he or she has received. Thus, not only is a potential sale lost to the company but, depending upon the degree of dissatisfaction of the customer, that particular customer may be forever lost to the company.
Further, even when having difficulty obtaining the desired information or placing an order, some customers are reluctant to press a HELP button, especially when pressing the HELP button merely brings up an e-mail message screen, or brings up a screen requiring the customer to provide a large amount of information.
Therefore, service to the customer would be improved if pressing the HELP button quickly connected the customer to a CSR.
In addition, service to the customer would be improved if it could be automatically determined if the customer was having a problem and needed assistance.
In addition, service to the customer would be improved if the customer was automatically connected to a CSR when the customer was having difficulty obtaining the desired information or placing an order.